


The Negotiation

by captainamergirl



Category: The Bold and the Beautiful
Genre: F/M, Rare Pairings, Starter FTW, Unconventional Relationship, futuristic one shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 12:43:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16974786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainamergirl/pseuds/captainamergirl
Summary: Young Kelly Spencer wants certain guarantees.





	The Negotiation

** The Negotiation **   
  
Steffy greeted Carter at the door with a smile and a sweet, but tantalizing kiss. He wrapped one arm around her tiny waist while holding onto a bottle of expensive wine with the other hand. “What’s that for?” She asked as she rested her hands on his chest.   
  
“Well, I figured, we can have a glass of  _vino_ if things go well and if not, we can drown our sorrows. Either way, we get a little bit of liquor in us.” He knocked a little kiss to her forehead. “Where is she?”   
  
“She’s in the living room waiting to start the negotiation.”   
  
Carter about choked on his tongue. “The negotiation? This is going to be a lot more difficult than I originally thought, isn’t it?”   
  
“No, at least I don’t think so. Just be yourself and I am sure it’ll go fine.”   
  
“All the same, you’d better stay in the room with us for moral support.”   
  
“Admit it - you're hoping if I'm in there silently rooting for you, she’ll be swayed to your way of thinking.”   
  
“Am I that transparent?”   
  
“Like glass, baby, like glass.” Steffy chuckled. She took the bottle from his hand and set it on the hallway table. She slapped his ass and chuckled. “Let’s get this started. My little negotiator appreciates punctuality.”   
  
Carter drew in a long, deep breath and broke into a confidant stride. It was best not to let her see him sweat. His eyes came to rest on the little brunette sitting at a child-sized table set up in the center of the living room. She wore a black dress with puffed sleeves and looked decidedly cool and confidant. She knew she was the one in charge here.   
  
“Kelly, hello,” Carter greeted the six-year-old.   
  
She looked up at him. “Carter, you arrived five minutes early,” she said. “You score some brownie points for that.”   
  
“Are you actually grading me on this?”   
  
“Yes, on every single thing you do today, so make it count.” She sounded somehow sweet and yet intimidating all at the same time. How a six-year-old could ruffle him so, he didn’t know but yet, he felt incredibly anxious.   
  
“Have a seat.” She gestured to a tiny white chair in front of her. It looked like it would certainly buckle under his weight. He was a big man, very well-built. He was sure that it would break and yet, he couldn’t very well complain, knowing she would dock him points in that mental register she was running.   
  
He looked at Steffy helplessly. She offered him an encouraging smile. He carefully scooted into the chair. It creaked on its hinges as he held his breath. His hands felt clammy as they rested on his trousers. He had put in a special effort to look extra sharp today and was glad for that now as she seemed to be studying him carefully.   
  
“Carter,” Kelly said. “State your business here today.”   
  
“Uh, okay. You probably already know that I want to marry your Mom. We’ve been talking about it for awhile now. But it wouldn’t feel right to officially ask for her hand until I have your blessing. So that’s, uh - why I am here. To secure that blessing from you. If you’ll give it, Kelly.”   
  
Kelly’s expression didn’t change. “So why do you think you’re worthy enough to marry my mom? I mean, she’s really great.”   
  
Carter gazed up at Steffy. “You are right, Kelly. She is really great - strong, and beautiful, and smart. The total package. I definitely am  _not_ worthy enough. I don’t think any man could be worthy of someone like her, someone with such a big and beautiful soul. But I want to try to be the man she needs because I am very much in love with her, because I think at the end of the day, I could maybe make her happy. Not as happy as you make her of course, but still, happy.”   
  
Kelly nodded. “Hmm, I’ll accept that answer.” She steepled her tiny, pink fingers. “When did you realize you were in love with my mom? I mean, you knew each other for years before you got together, right? So what exact moment did you know she was 'The One'?”   
  
“Yes, we knew each other - mostly as acquaintances - before we started dating. I always thought she was beautiful though. I mean, how could I not? Your Mom’s a knock-out. She just had to walk into a room and my breath got clean stolen away. Still, I honestly never thought we’d ever get together. It didn’t even cross my mind as a possibility. Then we got trapped together in the elevator during that earthquake two years ago… And she was panicking bigtime. But not because she was scared for herself. No, because she didn’t know if you were okay. She wanted out of there so badly so she could get to you. You were downstairs in the Forrester daycare office and she needed to know you were alright. She was climbing the walls -  _literally_ \- and I pulled her down and just held her close and told her everything would be fine. I wanted to reassure her we'd all get through it relatively unscathed... I remember as soon as the elevator doors were pried open by the firemen, we ran to check on you together. I watched her pick you up and pepper you with kisses and cry over you, and I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen … And I think seeing that fierce devotion your mom has to you and to the people in her life is what made me fall in love with her that very day.”   
  
Carter smiled quietly at the memory. Seeing Steffy like that, in a quiet, unguarded moment, is what had compelled him to finally ask her out several days later. She had surprised him by saying “yes” and the rest was wonderful history.   
  
Kelly nodded. “But will you  _always_ love my mom? I mean, always and forever? Or will you be like my dad who loved her for awhile and then moved on? Will you break her heart too?”   
  
Carter sobered as he looked up at Steffy and noticed her smile falter a bit. Liam had hurt her so badly. Carter wasn't a violent man by any stretch of the imagination, but yet, sometimes he wanted to punch Liam for how he’d treated Steffy; how he'd deserted her when she and Kelly had needed him the most.   
  
He reached for Steffy’s hand and gingerly kissed the inside of her wrist. Then he turned back to face Kelly. “I can’t sit here and swear to you that I’ll never hurt your Mom. Adults… Sometimes they fight; sometimes they argue and say dumb, mean things to each other. Even unintentionally, they cause each other pain. But I promise, on my own life, if I ever make your Mom sad, I will spend the rest of my life making up for it. Because yes, I do love her, Kelly.  _With all of my heart._ There’s no one else for me. There will never be anyone else for me... I want to be apart of her life and I want to be apart of yours too, Kelly, if you'll let me. I think you’re a special little girl and I want us to get along. I want you to be able to depend on me too. I promise to always be there for the both of you.”   
  
“Those are all good answers, Carter,” Kelly admitted.   
  
He breathed a sigh of relief.   
  
_“But_ we’re not quite done here.”   
  
“Oh?” He tugged at his shirt collar which still felt painfully snug. “Okay..."   
  
“Be honest now. This is serious... Do you promise to always eat Momma’s ‘famous’ banana chocolate chip pancakes with a smile on your face - even if they really are as hard as hockey pucks?”   
  
Carter laughed as Steffy gasped. “I promise,” Carter said, hand over heart.   
  
Steffy shook her head. “Hey! I thought you two liked my special banana chocolate chip pancakes. They’re my signature dish, one of the few things I actually know how to cook.” She pouted.   
  
“Hey, I love them,” Carter said with his brightest, megawatt smile.   
  
Steffy lightly punched his arm. “Suck up.”   
  
Carter smirked. “I love you,” he said. He turned to look at Kelly. “Now can I please have your permission to marry your mom?”   
  
Kelly tapped her cheek as if deep in thought. Carter looked anxiously at Steffy. Finally, Kelly nodded. “Okay, but on one condition.”   
  
Carter nodded eagerly. “Name it.”   
  
“I get to call you ‘Papa’.” Kelly splayed her tiny, delicate hands in her lap. Her eyes looked decidedly dewy now and her lips trembled. “I know I already have a dad but I never really belonged to him. At least, I don’t feel like I do. Hope and my little sister Grace … They’re his main family and I want a family of my own. So can you … Can you be my Papa?”   
  
Carter’s heart squeezed in his chest as he watched a tear roll down Kelly’s cheek. He reached out and gently dabbed it away with the pad of his thumb. His voice was thick as he answered, “I would be the proudest man in the world if you called me your Papa.”   
  
Kelly hesitated only a second before she hurled herself into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, dampening his skin with her tears. Steffy slipped down beside them and wrapped her arms around the two of them. She held them as they held each other. In that moment, they truly became the family they were meant to be.    
  
**THE END**


End file.
